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Northbound on Highway 59, a few miles south of Cleveland, I went past a semi-marked police vehicle (no external emergency lights; a seal on the door) t

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I wonder if they are compliant with TX state law on this.

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§ 721.004. Inscription Required on Municipal and County-Owned Motor Vehiclesc and Heavy Equipment
(a) The office having control of a motor vehicle or piece of heavy equipment owned by a municipality or county shall have printed on each side of the vehicle or equipment the name of the municipality or county, followed by the title of the department or office having custody of the vehicle or equipment.
(b) The inscription must be in a color sufficiently different from the body of the vehicle or equipment so that the lettering is plainly legible.
(c) The title of the department or office must be in letters plainly legible at a distance of not less than 100 feet.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.

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From:

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/tr/tr0072100.html#top

BTW - police are exampt - so are medical examiners and certain magistrates according to code 721.005.

And - the 'code enforcement' guy is exempt too, as shown below, if he is "designated to enforce environmental criminal laws".

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§ 721.005. Exemption From Inscription Requirement for Certain Municipal and County-Owned Motor Vehicles
Subsection (a) as amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 66, § 1
(a) The governing body of a municipality may exempt from the requirements of Section 721.004 an automobile when used to perform an official duty by a:
(1) police department;
(2) magistrate as defined by Article 2.09, Code of Criminal Procedure;
(3) medical examiner; or
(4) municipal code enforcement officer designated to enforce environmental criminal laws.
Subsection (a) as amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 140, § 1
(a) The governing body of a municipality may exempt from the requirements of Section 721.004:
(1) an automobile when used to perform an official duty by a:
(A) police department;
(B) magistrate as defined by Article 2.09, Code of Criminal Procedure; or
(C) medical examiner; or
(2) an automobile used by a municipal employee only when conducting an investigation involving suspected fraud or other mismanagement within the municipality.
(b) The commissioners court of a county may exempt from the requirements of Section 721.004:
(1) an automobile when used to perform an official duty by a:
(A) police department;
(B) sheriff's office;
(C) constable's office;
(D) criminal district attorney's office;
(E) district attorney's office;
(F) county attorney's office;
(G) magistrate as defined by Article 2.09, Code of Criminal Procedure;
(H) county fire marshal's office; or
(I) medical examiner; or
(2) a juvenile probation department vehicle used to transport children, when used to perform an official duty.
(c) An exemption provided under this section does not apply to a contract deputy.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended by Acts
1997, 75th Leg., ch. 355, § 1, eff. May 27, 1997; Acts 1997, 75th
Leg., ch. 46, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 62, § 17.38, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts
2001, 77th Leg., ch. 66, § 1, eff. May 14, 2001; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 140, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + § 721.006. Operation of Vehicle in Violation of Chapter; Offense
(a) A person commits an offense if the person:
(1) operates on a municipal street or on a highway a motor vehicle or piece of equipment that does not have the inscription required by this chapter; or
(2) uses a motor vehicle that is exempt by rule under Section 721.003, and that use is not expressly specified by the rule.
(b) An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $25 or more than $100.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.

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